No Fooling

Thanks for the fine profile of Donald Sutherland (“In the Key of Very Sharp,” by Sean Mitchell, April 25). He has become one of my favorite film performers, and I look forward to seeing him in “Enigma Variations.”

In addition to “Klute,” the movie that showed me what a fine actor he is was--believe it or not--”Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Sutherland plays his angel-like character for real, and thereby gives this teen comedy a depth it would not have without him.

The Annunciation scene in which his character informs Buffy of her vocation is both a hoot and a sober scene of when and where we discover who we are, what we stand for and what we can do in and for the world.

I get a kick out of recommending “Buffy” to students as “the foremost retelling in ‘90s pop cinema of the myth of woman as co-redemptrix.” My tongue is only a little in my cheek on that one, primarily because of Donald Sutherland’s fine work.

FATHER JAMES MORAN, C.S.P.

University Catholic Center

UCLA

*

Reading about Donald Sutherland taking piano lessons for his new play at the Mark Taper Forum reminded me that I sat behind him and his wife at Evgeny Kissin’s recent recital at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

I have no idea if Sutherland was there to prepare for his role in “Enigma Variations,” but it seemed to me that he is a real music lover. He applauded enthusiastically after each of the several encores and remained with the lingering audience until the house lights finally came up.

KENNETH LEAVENS

Fullerton